Jack of Clubs (House of Cards, Book 2)

Jack of Clubs by Barbara Metzger (2006)

Pages: 337

ISBN: 0451218051

Description: Years ago, Captain Jack Endicott's young half sister vanished after a carriage accident. Now, hardened by fighting in the Peninsular wars, Jack sets out to honor his father's dying wish that he find the missing girl. Disdainful of "proper" gentlemanly pursuits and refusing to live off his noble brother, Jack makes a bold play. He'll open a lavish gaming parlor in London - and, by hiring only beautiful ladies to deal cards, possibly find his sister. All he needs is a little luck.

Schoolteacher Allison Silver is at her wit's end. After an arduous journey escorting a precocious pupil to her grandparents in London, the old folks are not even home to take delivery! And the only possible alternate guardian in a known womanizer who runs a gambling house, of all things.

Yet when the proud Jack meets the prim Allie, the odds are surprisingly even - all bets are off in a wild game of romance...

Review: Jack and Allie did not get off to a great start. They both thought the worse of the other, keeping to stereotypes. They both had their fair share of pride, which seemed to get in their way quite often. Then there was the orphan that tied them together. Not long after their association, it became obvious that there was an attraction. They both tried to stay away from each other, but in the end they just had to be together. As the second book in this trilogy, it picked up where the last left off. We now get a closer look at Jack. The plot of this particular tale is somewhat ludicrous. In an attempt to locate his sister, Jack opens of a gaming club to possibly have an encounter with her. Once Allie and Harriet arrive he seems to forget about this search and gets involved in their issues and his growing lust for her. It seems the Endicott boys only seem to look for their sister when they need to hide or fulfill some other thing lacking in their lives. For the most part it was an average story, but one that you could skip.

Score: 2.5 out of 5